Francois c



stent fitta scanners c. Boisson, or NANTIAT, FRANCE..

Letters Patent No. 68,349, dated September 3, 186'?.

IMPROVED BUOY-SAFE.

TO ALL WHOM .l'l MAY CONCERN: p

Be it known that I, FnANeoIs CESAR BUISSON, of Nantiat, Department ol' Haute-Vienne, inthe Empire o France, have invented certain new. and useful improvements on Buoy-Safes for ships and. other vessels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of. this specification, and in whieh- A Figure 1 represents au elevation of a. buoy-safe constructed according to my improvement.

Figure 2, o. plan of the same. I

Figure 3, a vertical section thereof; and

Figure 4 a horizontal section of said device.

My invention relates to buoys or structures designed to be carried loose or in areadily detachable manner on board ships and cthervessels, and which likewise serve as safes for the storing ofrvalnables, and 'in case of shipwreck secure the preservation of the same by the floating off-the buoy,-as.`wellas constitute aready means for the protection of' persons from drowning. My invention, in this connection, consists in a. sheet-metal hull or body to such structures, divided into a series of peculiarly-arrangedwater-tight compartments .more or less. separately accessible by lids or doors, the wholc,when closed, being of a buoyant character,.and ythebodywhich they 'form havingicombined with itan outside armor of cork that not only gives increased power of dotation to the struct-ure, but protects it from injury or being stove in, when floatcd'or klet loose fromthelvesseh'by formingo. cushion te break shock in case of being struck or striking the vessel or other object. l l" Referring' to the, accompanying drawing, A represents an outer `sheet-metal shollof cylindrical shape, and having 'a stout'convex bottom, B, and conical or tapering top, C, the centre ofowhich is provided' with a manhole and-lid D, through which access is had to the vinterior of the. body, the entire coniiguration of the latter being more' or less varied at pleasure, but the shape here indicated nnddescribed being' preferred. Within said Abody is arranged, first of all, a central compartment, F, with which the man-hole in the top C communicates, and round which are arrangcdany number of radial compartments G, having lids or doors a opening into or out from the central vchamber F. Below these several compartments is a general lower b'hamber, I, accessible from the central compartment F by man-hole and lid Ji In this lower chamber I shouldbe stowed the more heavy valuables it is designed 4to 'save from the ship, such es specie or ingots, while the' lseveral upper compartments may be used for the ships papers and other light articles. This disposition of the compartments gives steadiness to the structure when aiioat, the configuration ofthe base B favoring the collection at the centre and lowest point or level of the heavier goods or valuables. The several "man-hole lids or doors may bc made water-tight at their joints hy any well-known or suitable packingarrangementsiv If preferred,`tlie doors'tothe compartments G may, through on appropriate disposition of copper strips at their'joints, be brazed or soldered tight after said compartments have been filled with the ships pcpersor-other articles they 'are'v designed to contati-mand being thus hermeticallysealed, with light contents, will given. fixedand reliable buoyancy in oase of leakage elsc where, the separate accessibility of the chambers F and I-ndding, further to the freedoml of thestrncture from leakage seriously affecting its buoyancy. But further protection in this respect, by adding toI the power 'of flotation of the safe, is secured by encirclingit with an armor of cork, K, 'held to the metallic body by lashings or guards b in any suitable manner.v This cork armor alsose'rves' to actas o. cushion to prevent fthe meta-llicbody being stove in by striking, say, against the side of the ship; or otherwise coming in violent contact vwith any portion oi' the wreck or other hard. object. It isv desirable'tomake said cook armorv of capacity .sulcie'nt to l oat the safe independently of its compartments, crmost of them, so that, in case of Vaccidentel'- leakage, the structure will continue to be buoyed up. i i

Attached to or connected with the structure may be a series of detachable cork buoys, ,or-floats of n. smaller character, for use by persons in the water till assistancecan be rendered. The roof ortopoi' the structure may also be used for prescrvationof the shipu'recked, the buoyancy ct' the structure being suilcicnt and its' upper arco. being vmade ample for the purpose, though no limit is fixed to the size of the contriv'anoei A ship may either carry a few of large or many ot'4 o. smaller size.' L A o, Projecting upwards from its top at the centre may be o rod or staff, Y,M ,f carrying a signal-hall, N, of bright color to attract the attention of any passing vessel or of parties from theehore, or s. lamp'may be substituted orl .o r seereibA fasteniugs `to -the mau-hole licls.

ad'tlelif. desired.; Sucix ox'` orf-heur 'signallingr arrangement, however, lmyv be dispensed with, especially if there be :my isk o f the rvoilor'stzi gettig entangledjvitlilooseriggi'ng in case of shipwreck.

.A-,blloy-safe thus constriupted will/be found of greet vnl-fein preserving both'life .and treasure, and when suitablypaintedor eoatcd will be (lui'able, mul iria'ylc merle secure against theft; of its contents by proper locks What I' eleimlnll'desix'o 4to -secure ily Letters 'PatentLis-.- Al Hwy-sofa composiell of afn'etliic body made up'of sepu'iite. mid ouisie cork-eroici", slibstatilly' as specified; A `In testimony whereof I hove'sig'ned m'ynaime to tllisfspeciufcaition bLfgnel two subscribing witnesses.

F.- C. BUISSON eompzn'tulents, provided with lids or doors',

' Witnesses 4llms, PH. GENTY. 

